Garment hangers



Aug. 7, 1956 J. W. NIEDERMEYER ET AL.

GARMENT HANGERS Filed May 25, 1953 United States Patent O a'lsmsssGARMENT HANGERS John W. Niedermeyer and William P. Niedermeyer,Milwaukee, Wis.

Application May 25, '1953, Serial No. 350,226

2 Claims. (Cl. 223-94) This invention relates to improvements in garmenthangers; and it relates particularly to adjustable garment hangers.

A primary object of the invention is to provide improved garment hangerswhich are adjustable to accommodate various sizes of garments.

Another object is to provide garment hangers which are automaticallyadjustable to support garments in such manner that the shape of `thelatter will be properly maintained.

A more specic object is to provide garment hangers which are adjustableto the size of a garment hung thereupon.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafterappear.

The accompanying drawings illustrate certain embodiments of theinvention which will now be described, it being understood that otherembodiments are possible, and that the embodiments illustrated aresusceptible of various modifications without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure l is a partly cross sectional, elevational view of a garmenthanger embodying the invention;

Pig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmented, partly cross sectional view taken online 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a partly cross sectional, elevational View of an alernativeform of garment hanger embodying the invention; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmented, isometric View of a cam member.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, there i-s shown a garment hanger including abody portion generally designated having arm portions 12 and 14extending in opposite directions from the central portion thereof. Thebody portion 10 is provided with a central recess 16 which opens at thelower edge of the body portion land is adapted to accommodate a cammember 18. An opening 20, formed in the upper edge of body 10,communicates with recess 16 and is adapted to accommodate the shank 222lof a suspension mem'ber or hanger hook 22.

The generally rectangular cam member 18 (see Fig. 4) has triangularportions cut away therefrom to form oppositely extending, diagonal camsurfaces 24 and 26 on the opposite faces of said cam member 18. Thelatter is slidably disposed in recess 16 and the shank 22a of suspensionmember 22 is slidably disposed in opening 20. The lower end of shank 22ais secured by any appropriate means to cam member 18, such as by beingscrewed or embedded therein. Recess 16 and opening 2t) are shaped sothat cam member 18 and sus-pension member 22 may be moved readilyrelatively to the body portion 10 in the direction of the axis of shank22a, but so that relative motion therebetween in other directions issubstantially prevented.

The latter feature is provided in part by the generally ICC rectangularshape of cam member 18 and such shape is now preferred. However, ifdesired, the cam member and the recess in the body portion in which thecam member is disposed, may be made generally triangular in shape orotherwise moditied.

The arm portions 12 and 14 of the body 1t) are provided with elongatedopenings 28 and 30, respectively, which extend from the ends of saidarms to the recess 16. Openings 28 and 30 are oitset laterally from thecentral vertical plane of the body 1i) in such manner that they arealined with cam surfaces 24 and 26, respectively. The operating bar 32of an end extension member 34 is slidably disposed in opening 28, andthe operating bar 36 of another, like end extension member 38 isslidably disposed in opening 30. The outer ends 322L and 36an of bars 32and 36, acting as cam followers, are engageable with cam surfaces 24 and26, respectively. The ends 32a and 36a are of reduced width to provideclearance for movement of said ends on either side of the centralsection 40 of cam member 18.

The end extension members 34 and 38 (shown partly extended) areconstrained by their respective operating bars 32 and 36 andrespectively associated openings 28 and 3i), to relative movement withrespect to the body 10 along the axes of openings 28 and 38. When thecam member 18 is drawn within recess 16 in the direction toward opening20, the cam surfaces 24 and 26 bear against end 32a of end extensionmember 34 and end 36a o-f end extension member 38, respectively, andcause said end extension members to be moved outwardly a like amountfrom the body 10. When a garment having sleeve portions, such forexample as a coat, is placed upon the hanger and the latter is suspendedby suspension member 22, the weight of the garment, and incidently theweights of the body 10 and end extension members 34 and 38, causes thebody 10 to move with respect to the cam member 18 in such manner thatend extension members 34 and 38 are extended in opposite directions intothe ends of the shoulder portions of the garment until said sleeveportions, acting as stops, prevent further extension. Thus the degree inwhich said end extension members 34 and 38 are extended depends upon thewidth of the shoulders of the garment and the latter will be properlysupported against sagging. If the garment is not provided with sleeveportions, the end extension members will be fully extended. In eithercase proper support is provided.

The end extension members 34 and 38 and their respectively associatedarm portions 12 and 14 are provided with complementally formed steppedportions 34a, 38a, 12a, and 14a, which atiofd a continuous supportingsurface for the garment for any degree of extension of the end extensionmembers.

The outer ends 32a and 36a of the operating bars 32 and 36 are providedwith laterally extending retaining pins 42 and 44, respectively. Thesepins 42, 44 cooperate with slots 46 and 48, respectively, which areformed in the inner surfaces of body 1() at recess 16, to retain the endextension members in assembled relation with the body 10. The pins 42,44 and slots 46, 48 are intended to be representative only, otherstructures being possible. For example, it will be appa-rent thatoppositely extending, diagonal grooves m-ay be formed in the oppositefaces of central section 40 in addition to, or instead of, cam surfaces24 and 26 for cooperation with pins or the like formed on operating rodends 32a and 36aand slidably disposed in said grooves. Such structurepermits operation of the hanger as hereinbefore described and alsoprevents movement of the end extension members independently of the cammember 18. Or, the cam member may be provided with oppositely extendingdiagonal channels for cooperation with grooves formed in the operatingbars.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 3, the camsurfaces which act to translate relative movement between the suspensionmember and the body portion into movement of the end extension members,are formed in the body portion of the hanger.

The garment hanger shown in Fig. 3 comprises a body portion 60, like endextension members 62 and 64 (shown partially extended), a suspensionmember 66, linkage members or cam followers 68 and 70 and a returnspring 72. The body portion 60 is hollow. Openings 74 and 76, whichcommunicate with the hollow 78 and with the respective ends of the bodyportion 60, slidably accommodate the operating rods 80 and 82 of endextension members 62 and 64. Another opening 84 formed in the uppersurface of the body 60, communicates with hollow 78 and slidablyaccommodates the shank 66 of suspension member 66. The extreme lower endof shank 66 is pivotally connected with the upper end of each of thelinkage members 68 and 70. The lower ends of said linkage members arepivotally connected with the end portions 80a and 82B, respectively, ofoperating bars 80 and 82 which are arranged in overlapping relationshipwithin cavity 78.

The return spring 72 is attached at its respective ends to linkagemembers 68 and 70 and acts to bias the end extension members 62 and 64toward a retracted position. The linkage members 68 and 70 are held inengagement with the walls 86 and 88, respectively, of hollow 78. Saidwalls 86 and 88 form cam surfaces. It will be apparent that the linkagemembers or cam followers 68 and 70 and spring 72 may be replaced by asingle V-shaped spring pivotally connected at its point with the end ofshank 66 and at its outer ends to operating bars 80 and 82.

When a garment is placed upon the hanger and the hanger is suspended byits suspension member 66, the weight of the garment forces the hangerbody 60 downward with respect to suspension member 66. The pivotalconnection between said suspension member and linkage members 68, 70 isthus moved upwardly with respect to body 60 and said linkage members arescissored together against the bias of return spring 72 by the camsurfaces 86 and 88. Extension of the end extension member 62 and 64 isthus effected. The degree of such extension is determined by the widthof the shoulder portion of the garment supported if the latter hassleeve portions or, in the case of a garment not having sleeve portions,is maximum.

The end extension members 62 and 64 and the ends of the body 60 areprovided with complementally formed stepped portions, like those of endextension members 34 and 38 and body portion 10 shown in Figs. 1 and 2and hereinbefore described, to provide continuous support for theshoulder portions of a garment for every degree of extension of members62 and 64.

It is now considered preferable to employ a return spring 72 havingsuicient resilience to cause the end extension members to be retractedupon removal of the garment. When this feature is not desired, thereturn spring 72 may be omitted.

We claim:

1. In an adjustable garment hanger, a suspension member, a cam memberconnected to said suspension member and provided with a pair ofoppositely extending cam surfaces, a pair of extension members eachhaving an end portion for adjustable disposition within a shoulder of agarment and further having an operating bar engageable with anassociated one of said cam surfaces, and a hanger body having a centralportion and arm portions extending in substantially opposite directionsfrom said central portion, said arm portions each being provided with anopening to slidably accommodate the operating bar of an associated oneof said extension members, said central portion having formed therein anopening communicating with the openings in said arm portions and theopening in said central portion slidably receiving said cam member, andmeans for retaining said cam member in said opening in the centralportion of said hanger body.

2. In a garment hanger, in combination with a hanger body having acontinuous upper surface for supporting the neck and shoulders of agarment, a pair of extension members each comprising an operating barhoused within and slidable in said hanger body and an end portion forengagement with the end of a shoulder of a garment, a suspension membermovable relatively toward and away from said hanger body, and cam actingmotion translating mechanism connected to said suspension member formovement therewith and co-operating with said extension members to camapart said end portions of said extension members as an incident torelative motion between said suspension member and said hanger body,said translating mechanism comprising a substantially rectangular cammember slidably disposed in the hanger body and means to retain said cammember in said hanger body, said cam member having portions cut awaytherefrom to form a pair of cam surfaces engageable with said operatingbars.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 959,687Altermatt May 3l, l9l0 2,452,346 Appleman oet. 26, 1948 2,528,788 RowanNov. 7, 1950 FOREIGN vPATENTS 67,074 Norway Nov. l5, 1943

